FOR CHARACTER creating schools a

FOR CHARACTER
creating schools and communities of character
March/April, 2006
An electronic newsletter to help make sure character counts!
Gary Smit

CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of Character are service marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. For more information about training opportunities and resources available to assist schools and communities in the integration of a character education initiative, check out their web site at: www.charactercounts.org or call them at 1-800-711-2670.

IN THIS ISSUE…

Information You Can Use
Grant and Recognition Opportunities
Student Context, Student Attitudes and Behavior and Acadmic Achievement
Self-Discipline May Beat Smarts As Keys to Success
The Lesson Spot - Using Quotations
Commentary By Michael Josephson

TAKE A MINUTE FOR CHARACTER

In my character workshops, I will often discuss the moral landscape of America. Whether the presentation is for teachers, school administrators, public officials or the business community, there are numerous examples of the good, the bad and the ugly related to character choices made by individuals or organizations. Let me share this perspective in a review of the recently completed Winter Olympics.

Americans toted home more medals from the 2006 Olympics than any previous winter games outside the U.S. Yet many see them as a letdown, the Me-First Games, a snowy spectacle marked more by petulance than performance. That`s too bad, for we saw it all: the good as well as the bad and the ugly.

The Good
The Games showcased two world-class deeds: the sportsmanship of Norwegian ski coach Bjornar Haakensmoen and the humanitarianism of American speedskater Joey Cheek. When Canadian cross-country skier Sara Renner broke her left pole in the final of the sprint relay, Mr. Haakensmoen gave her his. This act cost his team a medal, since the Canadians finished second and the favored Norwegians fourth. With the modesty of the truly ethical, Mr. Haakensmoen said he simply reacted normally. He said Norwegian policy called for giving poles or skis to others in time of need. "We talked about it at our team meeting the night before," he said. "We are a country which believes in fair play." People will remember Mr. Haakensmoen`s act long after they forget who finished third.

When Joey Cheek won the gold in the 500 meters and the silver in the 1,000, he received $40,000 in bonuses from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). He donated it all to a nonprofit charity called Right to Play, which aids children made homeless by the genocide in Sudan. "I`m certainly much more proud of that work than of winning a gold medal at the Olympics," said Mr. Cheek, and his example has spurred others to contribute $392,996 as of February 26. Canadian speedskater Clara Hughes followed suit after winning the gold in the women`s 5,000 meters, donating $10,000 to Right to Play.

A great many other Olympic athletes showed decency and courage. For instance, in the finals of the women`s freestyle moguls, the skiers gathered together at the base of the hill and hugged each other after every run, a terrific example of sportsmanship.

The Bad
Some athletes didn`t try hard enough. Lindsey Jacobellis was far ahead in the women`s snowboard cross, then tried to showboat and fell, letting a Swiss competitor take the gold. At first she shirked responsibility, calling the move a "stabilizing" effort. Later she confessed, "I was ahead. I wanted to share my enthusiasm with the crowd. I messed up. Oh, well, it happens." Good person maybe, but bad judgment.

Bode Miller became a global byword. The hard-partying World Cup champ had the chance to medal in five events but never came close in any, and some felt he preferred the bars to the snowpack. He failed to represent his nation, deprived others of spots on the roster, and may have injured the Games themselves through his disrespect of them. "I just want to go out and rock," he said. "And, man, I rocked here." Bad boy, bad judgment.

The Ugly
In one of the worst incidents, U.S. freestyle aerials star Jeret "Speedy" Peterson got in a drunken argument early in the morning and punched a long-time friend in the face. Olympic officials sent him speedily back to the U.S.

When French alpine skier Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin got disqualified in the super-G, he responded by raising a middle finger. "It was right in the camera," said referee Guenter Hujara, who added that Mr. Dalcin had aimed the gesture at either the jury or spectators. Boastful U.S. speedskater Chad Hedrick won three medals and lost a reputation. "My heart is bigger than anyone else`s out there," he told the universe after finishing second in the 10,000 meters. And of course there was The Feud: After teammate Shani Davis beat Mr. Hedrick in the 1,000 meters, the two sniped endlessly at each other, an astonishing display before a world audience. "I`ve covered sports for more than 30 years, and I can say without hesitation that I`ve never seen anything like this outside of the carnival-like atmosphere of a Mike Tyson pre-fight exchange," wrote Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Mr. Davis himself won no friends by refusing to participate in the team pursuit, saying he was saving energy for his individual events. According to the USOC, U.S. Olympic athletes attend seminars on dealing with the press and even take part in practice news conferences. They would have done better with lessons in character. [Winston-Salem Journal, 2/24; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/20, 2/22; Akron Beacon-Journal, 2/23; sportsnetwork.com, 2/26; USA Today, 2/26; Burlington Free Press, 2/26; Newsday, 2/25]

INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

KIDS LEARN RIGHTS COME WITH RESPONSIBILITIES - Students at Fairview Elementary School in Modesto, Calif., thought the ravioli served at lunch tasted so yucky that they circulated petitions to get it off the menu -- and won. Lesson learned: Kids sometimes do get to pick what they eat. At Nursery Road Elementary School in Columbia, S.C., students asked for a longer recess. But Principal Mary Kennerly recalled that when she explained that the school day would have to be extended to meet state mandates, "the kids said, 'Never mind.' " Lesson learned: Things that look simple aren't always so, and with rights come responsibilities. A small but growing number of schools has begun to inculcate students in the fundamentals of democratic freedom by teaching and practicing the principles of the First Amendment. Administrators and students say such education is imperative amid concern about a lack of adequate civic education in many U.S. schools and at a time when the publication of newspaper cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad has sparked riots abroad and a debate over free speech. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/20/AR2006022000970.html

MINIMIZING CONFLICT, MAXIMIZING COLLABORATION: PRINCIPALS & SCHOOL COUNSELORS - Collaboration among school personnel is seen as an essential tool for improving services to students. While sharing a common interest in serving students, principals and school counselors often approach student concerns from different points-of-view based on their preparation and philosophical orientation. These varied perspectives may lead to conflict, and ineffective use of time and energy for both principals and counselors. It is essential, therefore, that all school personnel work more collaboratively to serve students. Despite differences in professional preparation and orientation, there is ample evidence that collaboration among principals and counselors results in more effective programs and services that positively impact student academic, personal, and social growth. In this article, Elizabeth Broughton outlines strategies for school principals and counselors to use in understanding and appreciating their differing roles and responsibilities, and a set of recommendations that build collaboration, trust and communication to support the success of students. http://principalspartnership.com/feature.html

LOVING CHILDREN: A DESIGN PROBLEM - We claim to love our children, and David Orr believes that most of us do. But we have, sheep like, acquiesced in the design of a society that dilutes the expression of genuine love. The result is a growing mistrust of our children that easily turns to fear and dislike. In a recent survey, for example, only one-third of adults believed that today's young people "will eventually make this country a better place." Instead, we find them "rude" and "irresponsible." And often they are. We find them overly materialistic and unconcerned about politics, values, and improving society. And many are too materialistic and detached from large issues. Not infrequently they are verbally and physically violent, fully adapted to a society that is saturated with drugs and violence. A few kill and rape other children. Why are the very children that we profess to cherish becoming less than likable and sometimes less than human? Orr argues that answers can be found in the sharp divide imposed between the hyper-consumerism of the post-modern world and the needs of children for extended nurturing, mentoring, and imagining. It's the economy that we love, not our children. The symptoms are all around us. We spend 40% less time with our children than we did in 1965. We spend, on average, 6 hours per week shopping, but only 40 minutes playing with our children. It can no longer be taken for granted that this civilization can pass on its highest values to enough of its children to survive. Without intending to do so, we have created a society that cannot love its children, indeed one in which the expression of real love is increasingly difficult. http://www.designshare.com/Research/Orr/Loving_Children.htm

THE BULLY PROBLEM - A wave of research over the past two decades has documented bullying's harmful and lasting impact on children of all ages. Results clearly show the psychological damage inflicted by violence, insults, and intimidation. But less clear has been what schools can actually do to prevent bullying. Some anti-bullying programs have gotten good results, some haven't, and the jury is still out on others. In this article, Amy Wilson surveys the bullying research and looks at what schools have done recently to try to address bullying among their students. She explores the complexity of developing effective anti-bullying programs, but she also identifies several principles and methods that distinguish the effective programs from the rest. The article from the most recent issue of Greater Good is a valuable resources for teachers, school administrators, and parents alike.
http://peacecenter.berkeley.edu/FallWinter0506_Wilson.pdf

GRANT AND RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES

"Kids Who Care Program"
Kohl's Kids Who Care Program recognizes and rewards young volunteers who transform their communities for the better. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: youth 6 to 18 years old, not graduated from high school by March 15, 2006. Deadline: March 15, 2006.
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/Community02.htm

"Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community" The Hitachi Foundation presents the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community for high school students on the basis of their community-service activities. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: graduating high school seniors in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Deadline: April 1, 2006.
http://www.hitachifoundation.org/yoshiyama/index.html

"Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials" Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials are available to in the planning of service projects for the 18th Annual National & Global Youth Service Day, April 21-23, 2006. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, and Classroom Posters are now available in print and on-line. Download these materials or order free printed copies at: http://www.ysa.org/nysd/resource/nysd_resources_parent.cfm

"Seeking Young Heroes for $2,000 Barron Prize" - The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2006 awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each year, ten national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit:
http://www.barronprize.org/

STUDENT CONTEXT, STUDENT ATTITUDES & BEHAVIOR & ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

What are the key factors that promote academic success among students whose demographic characteristics and school circumstances place them at high risk of failure? Theresa Akey provides highly suggestive, although not conclusive, answers to this question. This study’s findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom. Consonant with previous research, they indicate that both engagement in school and students’ perception of their own academic competence influence achievement in mathematics for high school students. But the study departs from earlier work in suggesting that perceived academic competence may be more influential than engagement in boosting achievement in both mathematics and reading. Indeed, analyses indicate that perceived competence had a stronger influence on subsequent engagement than engagement had on students’ perceptions of themselves as competent learners. The findings also make clear that supportive teachers and clear and high expectations about behavior are key to the development of both student engagement and perceived competence. This study suggests that the earlier schools and teachers begin to build students’ confidence in their ability to do well, the better off students will be. Because students’ perceptions of their capacity for success are key to their engagement in school and learning, schools should be designed to enhance students’ feelings of accomplishment. Teachers whom students see as supportive and who set clear expectations about behavior help create an atmosphere in which students feel in control and confident about their ability to succeed in future educational endeavors. http://www.mdrc.org/publications/419/overview.html

SELF- DISCIPLINE MAY BEAT SMARTS AS KEY TO SUCCESS

Zoe Bellars and Brad McGann, eighth-graders at Swanson Middle School in Arlington, do their homework faithfully and practice their musical instruments regularly. In a recent delayed gratification experiment, they declined to accept a dollar bill when told they could wait a week and get two dollars.

Those traits might be expected of good students, certainly no big deal. But a study by University of Pennsylvania researchers suggests that self-discipline and self-denial could be a key to saving U.S. schools. According to a recent article by Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman in the journal Psychological Science, self-discipline is a better predictor of academic success than even IQ.

"Underachievement among American youth is often blamed on inadequate teachers, boring textbooks, and large class sizes," the researchers said. "We suggest another reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline... We believe that many of America's children have trouble making choices that require them to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain, and that programs that build self-discipline may be the royal road to building academic achievement."

But how, educators, parents and other social scientists want to know, do you measure self-discipline? Duckworth, a former teacher studying for a doctorate in psychology, and Seligman, a psychology professor famous for books such as "Learned Optimism," used an assortment of yardsticks, including questions for the students (including how likely they are to have trouble breaking bad habits, on a 1-to-5 scale), ratings by their teachers and parents and the $1-now-or-$2-later test, which the researchers call the Delay Choice Task.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/16/AR2006011600788.htm

THE LESSON SPOT - USING QUOTATIONS

A great tool to use in the classroom is having students discuss quotations or to write an essay based upon a specific quote. Here are some ideas that a teacher can use if they structure a lesson around quotes.

QUOTATIONS - Discussion Guide
Ask questions like the following:

What do you think this quotation means?
What are the most important ideas and values embedded in the quote?
How would you rewrite this quotation if you had to use synonyms of the original words?
Give a “real life” example of what this quote is about.
What circumstances do you think prompted the speaker to say this?
Why do you suppose this quotation is famous or at least notable?
If this quote doesn’t apply to you directly, what kind of person or situation would it apply to?
Is there something you can learn from this quote about how you should live your life?
How would the world be different if everyone lived by this quotation? How would the world be different if no one lived by this quotation?
Is this quote realistic or idealistic?

QUOTATIONS - Activity Ideas

Have students find five quotes about one topic, such as honesty or success, or about one of the Six Pillars.
Have students research and write a short biography of the person who said their favorite quote.
Have students rewrite five quotes using language a 10-year-old could understand.
Use a quotation as a journal prompt at the beginning (or end) of class. Students can then pick out their favorite journal entry to expand into a full essay.
Have students find and explain one quote that uses a simile and one that uses a metaphor.
Give students the first part of a quote and have them think of different endings. For example, “Most folks are about as happy as ... _________.” (The original quote, from American president Abraham Lincoln, ends with “they make up their minds to be.”)
List 10 quotes for students and have them rank the quotes in order of how meaningful they would be to a child, a teenager, a parent, or an old person.
Select a quotation and write it on the board. Have students copy it, write what it means in their own words, and give an example from their own lives.
As a twist on the traditional “current events” assignment, have students select a quote that relates to the news story and explain why it is relevant to that current event.
Have students organize a list of quotes by the Six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship). Ask them to explain how each quote relates to the Pillar category in which they placed it.
Assign a group of three or four students a particular maxim and have them prepare a one- to two-minute skit to illustrate the essential message of the quotation..
Cut the quotes into strips of paper and have students draw a quote from a box. For homework, express the message of the quote in a poster, poem, essay, or song.

For more information on using quotations, along with a weekly writing prompt, go to the Foundations for Life web page.

COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
Character Is an Essential Competence

If you were hiring a new CEO, what are the most important qualities you`d look for? Surely you`d want a high level of demonstrated competence - knowledge and experience, intelligence, vision, communication and relationship skills, and the ability to motivate, manage and solve problems. But what about qualities such as honesty, moral courage, accountability and fairness?

Despite bold rhetoric about the indispensability of good character, many hard-driving organizations are willing to be "flexible" on the character issue to get a person perceived to be exceptionally competent.

Thus, many current scandals - in business, the church and college sports - occurred because organizations compromised their principles by recruiting, retaining or tolerating leaders with serious character flaws that generated costly accusations of wrongdoing and undermined trust, morale, teamwork and loyalty.

I used to tell clients that competence and character were two separate aspects of intelligent employment decisions. Now, I think it`s a mistake to separate the concepts. Today, good character is an essential aspect of competence.

Long ago, Samuel Johnson said, "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, but knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful." Warren Buffett updated the notion. He said, "In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don`t have the first, the other two will kill you."

Since it`s easier to train a person of good character to do a job well than it is to develop character in a skilled but unprincipled employee, if you have to choose, hire for character and train for skills.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.